Sometimes, government policies are just plain dumb. That’s evident today in a plan by the state to charge a fee to those who mountain bike at Ft. Yargo State Park in Winder.

It’s not that the fees are excessive; $2 a day or $25 per year on top of a $5 per day parking fee.

It’s the principle of the idea.

The state didn’t build those mountain biking trails. Those trails were built and have been maintained by biking enthusiasts and volunteers.

Now under the guise of an overall funding shortfall, the state wants to charge for access to something it didn’t create at Ft. Yargo and that it has no cost to maintain.

But it gets worse. The fee being proposed would not be used to maintain the trails or build new ones; the fees would go to the park general fund.

All of which is about as dumb of an idea as I’ve heard from state officials recently.

If the state charges this fee and runs off a regular clientele of bikers, not only will it not get the new fee, but it will also not collect the daily parking fee it would have gotten from park patrons.

Dumb.

But this is bigger than just the state screwing up. Ft. Yargo has become a mountain biker’s haven in recent years, bringing a large number of people to the Winder area for races. If the state runs those people off, not only will that impact the state, but it will also impact Winder businesses.

So the City of Winder has a stake in this issue. The town’s leaders should take an active role in this discussion and encourage the state to change its plans.

For too long, Winder leaders have pretty much ignored Ft. Yargo, which is literally in the town’s back yard. Given the right kind of city leadership, Ft. Yargo could become the town’s focal point for economic growth and tourism. But doing that will require the city to engage the park and state leaders on a consistent basis, something that in the past has been inconsistent.

The state, of course, is complaining about its own financial problems. But the state’s problem isn’t a lack of revenue, it’s a mis-allocation of the revenue that it does get.

The state’s system of higher education, for example, is a virtual black hole into which is sucked vast amounts of revenue to only be squandered by inefficient departments and overpaid employees.

So when the state says it has to raise fees on bikers to make up a shortfall, it grates on the public’s ears like long fingernails on a blackboard. The state wants to charge bikers so its bureaucrats can stay comfy in their jobs? Ugh!

As it happens, I have a little passing knowledge about this. On several occasions, I’ve taken Boy Scout groups to Ft. Yargo to bike and hike. It’s a great resource for the area.

Oddly, the state isn’t proposing to charge hikers to use those trails, only bikers. The logic in that escapes me. If you’re going to charge for one activity on the trail, why not the other?

State parks are part of a system of resources that’s designed to provide amenities to citizens.

So if the state wants to generate more revenue for the park, then raise the parking fee a dollar. That would generate more money overall.

But picking out one small group of park users — bikers — and charging them to use something THEY built and that THEY maintain is nuts. Heck, the biking group has helped the park by creating a new resource that acts as a draw for others, like our Boy Scout troops, all of whom pay the parking fee.

The state would be wise to view this relationship as a trade-off; as long as a private group of volunteers maintains the biking trails, then there should be no fee. If sometime in the future the state has to take on that duty, then fine, charge a fee.

The truth is, the state can’t replace the free labor it’s getting now in trail maintenance. No miserly $2 fee will generate enough income to hire the people necessary to do that.

Dumb. Dumb. Dumb. Just another example of how the state mismanages its resources, both financial and human.

All of which proves the old adage: No good deed goes unpunished when government gets involved.
Mike Buffington is co-publisher of the Barrow Journal. He can be reached at mike@mainstreetnewspapers.com.

A well written article. I hope the City of Winder voices their opinion on this as this will have somewhat of an economic impact on the area. I ride the Yargo trails 80+ times a year so I definitely get my monies worth from the annual parking pass. But I will not be extorted into paying another $2 as a matter of principal. And I will not check in and check out at the office every time I ride. I figure that I spend $4600 annually in Winder on fuel purchases, restaurants (place shameless plug for Little Italy here) and misc items all from a direct result me going to Winder to ride Yargo's trails. Multiply that amount by the number of mountain bikers that regularly ride Yargo and from the races held there, and that becomes a significant amount money spent in Winder. I live in Hoschton so it's about the same travel time for me to go to the Chicopee bike trails (which only asks for a $1 donation to ride the trails). Like me, most other bikers have somewhere else that they can ride besides Yargo. Yargo is not the only game in town. DNR and Georgia State Parks officials need to listen up to what the mountain bike community is telling them as they are in the process of biting the hand that feeds them.

Why are you crowing about mountain bikers giving "free services", when you built the trails illegally, for your own use? Yes, mountain bikers do a lot more harm than hikers, to the wildlife, people, and environment, so you SHOULD pay more.

Bicycles should not be allowed in any natural area. They are inanimate objects and have no rights. There is also no right to mountain bike. That was settled in federal court in 1994: http://mjvande.nfshost.com/mtb10.htm . It's dishonest of mountain bikers to say that they don't have access to trails closed to bikes. They have EXACTLY the same access as everyone else -- ON FOOT! Why isn't that good enough for mountain bikers? They are all capable of walking....

A favorite myth of mountain bikers is that mountain biking is no more harmful to wildlife, people, and the environment than hiking, and that science supports that view. Of course, it's not true. To settle the matter once and for all, I read all of the research they cited, and wrote a review of the research on mountain biking impacts (see http://mjvande.nfshost.com/scb7.htm ). I found that of the seven studies they cited, (1) all were written by mountain bikers, and (2) in every case, the authors misinterpreted their own data, in order to come to the conclusion that they favored. They also studiously avoided mentioning another scientific study (Wisdom et al) which did not favor mountain biking, and came to the opposite conclusions.

Those were all experimental studies. Two other studies (by White et al and by Jeff Marion) used a survey design, which is inherently incapable of answering that question (comparing hiking with mountain biking). I only mention them because mountain bikers often cite them, but scientifically, they are worthless.

Mountain biking accelerates erosion, creates V-shaped ruts, kills small animals and plants on and next to the trail, drives wildlife and other trail users out of the area, and, worst of all, teaches kids that the rough treatment of nature is okay (it's NOT!). What's good about THAT?

You're taking years of generic arguments against mountain biking and trying to apply them here, but it's not going to work. Do you really think this trail would exist in a state park if it were illegal? It's listed as a feature on the state's own park website: http://www.gastateparks.org/FortYargo

"Today, visitors come to Fort Yargo for its wide variety of outdoor recreation and scenery. Mountain bikers and hikers can test their endurance on 18 miles of trails. A 260-acre lake offers a large swimming beach, fishing and boat ramps."

Mountain bikers ALWAYS begin by riding illegally and creating illegal trails. It has always been an outlaw culture. That has never changed. Weak land managers feel sorry for them, and give in to their demands -- except in California, where they have higher environmental standards.

Even if they didn't have permission initially (which you need to provide proof for), they do now, and it's an essential part of the Fort Yargo experience, and I haven't seen any signs that they're disrupting nature here.

If you really want to help nature, start lobbying for MUPs so we don't have to drive multi-ton machines down ugly asphalt road just to leave the house.

Attacking mountain bikers who coexist peacefully with nature and the community won't get the results you're hoping for.

I know of many GA state parks where mountain bike trails were designed and created by the state when the parks were initially created, so I am shooting your argument that bikers ALWAYS start by illegally creating trails down. I repeat, Michael V, your statement is not true. Case closed. Go back to Cali!

Is this the same person BIKE magazine had an article on? The same person who attacked bikers on trails?

Erosion? Horses, deer, sheep, people (bare-footed and shoed), and most anything that continuously travels the same path will cause erosion. Erosion happens after catastropic events, such as natural fires, wind blown trees, and the natural systems are able to handle it. Open your eyes, get off your soap box and try joining the real world.

Anno - Thanks. I have removed myself from my little bike and found this:
con·tinu·al·ly adv.
Synonyms: continual, continuous, constant, ceaseless, incessant, perpetual, eternal, perennial, interminable
These adjectives mean occurring repeatedly over a long period of time. Continual is chiefly restricted to what is intermittent or repeated at intervals: The continual banging of the shutter in the wind gave me a headache.
Continuous implies lack of interruption: The horizon is a continuous line.

So if a wildlife trail is used by multilple species and individuals is that continous or continual? Not sure but the point is erosion does occur. Soil taxonomy plays a huge role in the degree of erosion. So, lets be realistic about this and not have knee-jerk reactions to erosive forces some of us do not understand.

Swinging implements at bikers as they pass by is a new definition of attack by a biker!

I agree, please stay focused on California's issues and leave the east coast alone.

Please collect specific examples of this happening _at Fort Yargo_ and tell the trail maintainers about it so they can take care of it. They want to keep the park safe and clean for everyone, including MTBers, hikers, and other animals.

Specifically, all the trails created by mountain bikers destroyed a lot of wildlife habitat! The presence of bikes on trails also drives hikers out of the parks, because it's dangerous and unpleasant to be around large, fast-moving pieces of machinery, when you simply want to enjoy nature. Bikes simply don't belong in our parks. It's obvious to everyone but mountain bikers, who do't really care about the parks, except to exploit for cheap thrills.

That just shows, once again, how dishonest mountain bikers are. You guys almost ALWAYS DRIVE to the trailhead! I walk. I win, hands down. I also don't kill animals and plants, nor drive other trail users off the trails, all of which mountain bikers DO. You really should keep your mouths closed, because every time you open it, you put your foot in it! But you are too stupid to even realize that....

Don't pay any attention to Mikey V. . He's just a senile old whacked out enviro wannabe who hides out in Berkeley Ca in full paranoia of "crazed mountain bikers". Who, BTW,, he loves to assault with nature destroying pruning devices.

It would be hard to imagine any experience more boring than that ride. You are continually being jerked up and down by the bumps in the trail, and you don't get to look at anything, since you have to pay﻿ attention to controlling the bike & negotiating the trail. I can't imagine why anyone would want to waste their time in nature on top of a bike! It only shows that most humans don't think.

For more about te harm that mountain biking does, see mjvande.nfshost.com / mtbfaq.htm.

It's clear at this point that you're only interested in drawing attention to your ideological campaign against mountain bikers, not in discussing the subject of this article, which is mountain biking at this specific park and the risks of driving them away with this fee.

BS. I already said that the fee is a great thing, BECAUSE it will drive away mountain bikers (since they are too lazy to walk). Building illegal trails that destroy wildlife habitat doesn't give you any entitlement to mountain bike!

likely this another result of the failed yearwood administartion.While most people know that this is coming from the state and the county has no in-put. Does anyone really think they would be doing this with a competent person at the helm in Barrow?
The influence of government both positive and negative are felt far and wide, .
Vote yearwood out of office next year and we will probably see this affrontery repealed.

Oh, we all know you can spell that word. It is in EVERY post you have ever made. No matter the subject or the message, you seem to say this every time. No secret you can spell exactly what you are. Your classmates must call you this all the time.

actually, as an avid jack legg reader I can say that he does not use that word as much as he used to, but you can be tracked through these blogs by the way that you use it and put the little quotation marks around it.You are fooling no one mr. yearwood, no one.

I really like to ride in places like this but for fees like this I wouldnt be visiting it much. I ride mountain bikes regularly but shouldn't have to pay for the states shortfalls to get out in the wilderness This is the bike that I ride http://www.2wheelbikes.com/sx30-mountain-bike.html

You DON'T have to pay to get out into wilderness -- unless you are too lazy to WALK! I wonder why mountain bikers claim to be physically fit, but not fit enough to be willing to walk! How pathetic! Are you able to tie your own shoes yet?

Who's talking about parking or driving? Don't you know that bikes are for RIDING, not for being carried on top of your car or truck? Ride your bike to whatever park you like. Then WALK (you remember walking, right?)! That gives you access to as much wilderness as you like -- if you aren't too lazy to walk.... That is FREE. And stop complaining about fees, which are necessary to pay for the damage that mountain bikers do.

Any chance that the dwindling budgets for state parks might be the simple answer for the rate increase?

Why that is the state's reasoning, but the way they are approaching the process for trying to increase revenue, may just end up descreasing revenue in the long run! The program to single out one user, the admin of signing in and out riders, monitoring trails, and the fact that Mtn Bikers have a lot of other options for than paying at this park & the funds, not going back into the trail, that is maintained, built, developed, evironmentally taken care off, by a volunteer group, may very well hurt the state park system!

Really like this story, good job Buffington. Can relate to your closing words; "no good deed goes unpunished when government is involved". Reminds me of something that happened to a county employee about a year ago. The aftermath goes way deeper than you could imagine.

I did not know Fort Yargo had these bike trails. Me and my son got dirt bikes for Christmas. I got a Kawasaki 250 and he got the 125. We will go ride these trails this weekend before they start charging.

There are plenty of other Mountain bike trails in the area, like the ones at Tribble Mill Park, and Harbins Park. Go to Sorba.org and find out more, so you can help protect these other trail systems, for generations to come. These trails are multi-user friendly, for hikers, bikers(non-motorized), and equestrian as well.

Quite a few of those so-called dishonest Mountain bikers have Googled you, and posted several other news story's about your illegal antics on another forum. What it comes down to is, you are a insane looser, who really needs to get a life. It must be really sad to have no friends, or people to have real and truly intelligent conversations with. So therefor you spew your anger both here and out in our parks. Seriously dude, get a real life! We are not given a whole lot of time on this earth, find something to do that is worthwhile for once.

Very funny. Mountain bikers are 100% consistent and predictable. They HATE the fact that I and others tell the truth about mountain biking. It makes them so desperate, that instead of defending their sport(which is indefensible, anyway), they try to attack the messenger. The problem is that in order to make me look bad, they have to LIE! If they had to tell the truth, they wouldn'tbe able to make me look bad. What they don't realize, of course, is that they are only shooting themselves in the foot! The only person they are making look bad is themselves! They are teaching everyone in the world that (1) mountain bikers are an outlaw culture that has an entitlement mentality and (2) ALWAYS LIES! If any of you believe what mountain bikers say, I have a bridge I'd like to sell you. That goes for Bike Magazine and all other mountain biking propaganda.

Thanks for demonstrating, once again, how dishonest mountain bikers are. You have ZERO evidence of me ever playing golf. I can't imagine playing golf: too boring, JUST LIKE MOUNTAIN BIKING. But mountain bikers aren't the least bit interested in the truth. All you care about is attacking anyone who tells the truth about mountain biking, in any way you think you can.

Sorry to disappoint you, but (1) all charges were misdemeanors, and (2) I am innocent of all charges. I was only convicted because every mountain biker, as well as the police, lied under oath. Nothing for you to be proud of.... All you are doing is educating the entire world about what mountain bikers are like -- namely, pretty disgusting.

Yes, a big conspiracy. The cops got together with the mountain bikers secretly before the trial in order to persecute you. If you are so smart, why couldn't you convince the jury? Obviously your attorney was incompetent, so you should sue for malpractice. Filed your appeal, yet? You are innocent, of course. Everyone is out to get you.

At first I was all for these fees, but after reading the comments posted by Mr. Vandeman I have changed my mind. I cannot allow myself to be put in the same group as this man. Sir I hope you realize that the more you comment on things that can be associated with hikers as well as bikers (damage to the envireoment, animals, insects) the more you lose people. Stop while you still have some people who might listen to you. God bless you

Mike Vandeman is a liar, a hypocrite, and a convicted criminal. His history suggests serious mental illness. Don't waste your time engaging him as he is but a sad, angry old man raging against an arbitrary target and waiting to die.

(1) I don't have to lie, as you do, because the truth is on my side. (2) I never did anything illegal; I was only convicted because all of the mountain bikers lied under oath. (3) You only want to shut me up because I tell the truth about mountain biking. That's what happens to EVERYONE who tells the truth about mountain biking. Mountain bikers are so afraid that people will learn the truth about their selfish, destructive sport, that they will stoop to ANYTHING, to prevent it. But it's too late: the truth is already out. It's all at http://mjvande.nfshost.com/mtbfaq.htm. But, hey, keep it up! You are only educating the world on what mountain bikers are like: dishonest, selfish, disgusting! It's all visible here, and from your own mouths!

For those not familiar with Mr Vandeman, have a look at the FAQ. Google "vandeman FAQ" without the quotes. It's on the evergreenmtb dot org site.

A sample:

"Argument: Mountain Bikers are liars. (He loves this one, and will prove you to be one if you fall into his traps.)

"Traps: He's probably right. Most of us have been known to lie from time to time. (I don't know anyone who hasn't.) Some people admit this truth, and point out that Mike Vandeman is also a liar. (You're right, he is! You're catching on!) By the way, Mike also has an alternate definition of "liar": Someone who disagrees with him. By this definition, you are most certainly a liar."

Mike V. Go fight the fight in the rain forests of Central and South America. You, like most incompetents, believe hunters and outdoor enthusiasts are the problem. In fact they are the solution to habitats and the sanctity. But in your pretentious way and with your PHD believe you know better.

Thanks Buffington, for putting into words exactly what I was thinking. The trails at Yargo are great, but I refuse to pay the state extra for something they don't even maintain. I think these fees will actually net the state less money. I know they won't be getting my $50/year parking pass money anymore.

My wife has a conference in Atlanta and Ft. Yargo sounds like a neat place to visit.
The $2 fee seems a bit unjust if it's just targetted to bikers, but it won't scare me off.
What will is this Vandeman guy.
Is he attacking people on the Yargo trails or only in California?

The best way to deal with V is to jus to let him blather on. The tone and tenor of his voice and message is enough to do him in. He tried to control things when he was in court and the judges just shut him down and pulled the leash tighter. In the end the relative leniency he received was because he was old and pathetic. Arguing with him is useless; like a chinese finger puzzle. Do not give him the time of day. He has lost any credibility

Berkeley Mike speaks the truth. I wonder if MJV is taking his one-man circus on the road to other states, or if he really hopes that someone will believe him some day. You get my sympathy now as you did the day we met on the trail. I suspect you'll never find a soul to give empathize with you. Change your ways or die a lonely death.

Berkeley Mike is too cowardly to use his real name (Michael Mejia), or to tell the truth about anything. He was caught red-handed photographing in the courtroom, then lied about it. Thanks for demonstrating, for the millionth time, that all mountain bikers are liars and lawbreakers. The fact that you attack me just proves how desperate you are to shut up anyone who tells the truth about mountain biking. Keep it up! The more you open your mouth, the more it helps my cause!

Fact: Mike Vandeman has a criminal record in Alameda County, unlike most mountain bikers.

Fact: Mike Vandeman only believes in a state/court of law when it suits his beliefs. He cannot accept that he is a convicted criminal by a jury of his peers in Alameda County, California.

Fact: Mike Vandeman is a liar. He states mountain bikes are inanimate objects that have no rights, yet, several municipal/county/state/federal land agencies explicitly allow the use of mountain bikes on specific trails and dirt roads. He can't accept this.

Fact: Mike Vandeman is a self described environmentalist, yet he works for the large transnational corporation, ATT.

Fact: Mike Vandeman loves to argue with mountain bikers. You will never be able to change his opinion on the issue.

Fact: Mike Vandeman is a hypocrite. He claims that ALL mountain bikers are liars and criminals, when the fact is, he is a sociopathic liar and a convicted criminal.

Fact: Mike Vandeman lives in a world of black and white. He is incapable of seeing the the varying shades of colors and greys that the real world is made of. This is why he makes grand scale accusations like "ALL mountain bikers are liars and criminals".

It's obvious that anyone afraid to use his real name is lying. The only reason I was convicted of anything (and just about the most minimal charge you can imagine) is that all the mountain bikers LIED UNDER OATH. This is nothing to be proud of! No mountain biker has ever been able to quote a single lie of mine, because I don't lie! I don't need to, since the truth is all on my side! Also, no mountain biker has ever managed to come up with even ONE good reason to allow bikes on trails. A federal court decided in 1994 that there is no right to mountain bike: http://mjvande.nfshost.com/mtb10.htm. That's why any land manager who wants to can close trails to bikes. Eat your hearts out! And don't stop lying. It really helps my cause.

Mr Buffington, I very much enjoyed and agree with your view on the "special fee" for mountain bikers,,But your story is nowhere near as entertaining as Mr Vandeman (I will do my best to keep the name calling to a minimum)
Mr Vandeman, excluding the content of your rants, your grammar suggest you have some education,,,this being said, you would be doing yourself a favor by letting everyone think you are a fool rather than opening your mouth and proving them right,,,that is a common saying here on the east coast some of us actually abide by it,,,I realize it is a little late here for YOU to follow that advice,,,That being said, has been a LONG time since I rode a bike at Ft Yargo but am definitely going to get back into it,,,Let me understand before doing so: Mt Bikers are like a Jr Hell's Angels now? I can live with that but how should I dress? Leather Jacket and Chaps? How many tattoos do I need to get? Do I need clothes pins and playing cards on the spokes? I REALLY do want to fit in with the other hellions as not to be mistaken for you,,,BTW did you move here to escape your critics and legal problems elsewhere? YOU are TOO FUNNY! (In a sad kind of way)

Thanks for demonstrating for the millionth time that mountain bikers can't defend their selfish, destructive sport with any FACTS or LOGIC, so they instead attack anyone who tells the truth about mountain biking: NOT ONE WORD about the erosion that mountain biking causes; NOT ONE WORD about the habitat destruction that mountain biking causes. NOT ONE WORD about the serious INJURIES and DEATHS that mountain biking causes. Keep it up! You are only proving my point!

So the laws of physics and biology are different from what they are in other areas of the world? Knobby tires are ideally designed for ripping up the soil and killing small animals and plants on, under, and next to the trail, which they DO. Hikers, on the other hand, pack down and flatten the soil, as even mountain biking researchers have admitted: http://mjvande.nfshost.com/scb7.htm. Mountain bikers travel several times as far and as fast as hikers, thus impacting wildlife that much more. For example, snakes can usually elude slow-moving hikers, but not mountain bikers, who frequently kill them.

Mr. Vandeman I have a question for you.
You state all mountain bikers are liars. You state you have never lied.
My son who is seven is a mountain biker. I have children his age in Cub Scouts who are mountain bikers.

Are you saying my son and these children are liars?
If not then you lied about mountain bikers.

If you are calling them liars then that tells me all I need to know about your ability to reason and you will receive no further comment from me.

I never said "all mountain bikers lie". I said all mountain bikers I have ever talked to have lied. That is a pretty large sample, certainly in the hundreds or thousands, at least! You should clean up your own act, before trying to attack someone else.

That was 100% correct. The charge was assault with a pruning saw. The charge was dismissed. Sorry to disappoint you. As I said, no one has ever quoted anything I said that was a lie. It's impossible, since I don't lie. Only you mountain bikers lie. Ready to admit that I'm right?

The jury was hung on the pruning saw charge. It wasn't dismissed. It could be brought up again. Lucky for you the IDIOT cop lost his notes. Lucky for you your attorney kept filing motions, delaying your trial until memories became hazy.

"I never said 'all mountain bikers lie'." Yes, you have:

"The first thing one notices about mountain bikers is that they lie continually!" mjvande [dot] nfshost [dot] com [slash] mtb17 [dot] htm

Note that it doesn't say "some" or "most." It seems to include all of them. It's OK though, because your definition of a LIAR is someone who disagrees with you.

Have you published ONE peer reviewed paper on the subject of mountain biking? You are such an expert, yet you can only reference your own website, your reviews of the literature, your OPINION. Perhaps the editors are not impressed with the continual use of UNDERLINING and EXCLAMATION POINTS!

You obviously don't know what you are talking about. After the jury hung, the assault charge was dismissed "for lack of evidence".

"The first thing one notices about mountain bikers is that they lie continually!"

Where do you see the word "all"? Thanks for proving my point. Your message is full of lies. Mountain bikers know that if they were to start telling the truth, no one would allow them to bike off-road.

So keep it up! The more you open your mouths, the more you dig yourselves into a hole. You are only demonstrating, for the millionth time, that mountain bikers are dishonest, selfish, destructive bullies, who will stop at NOTHING to get their way.